Aaah, happy things after sad things. The story really needed this.
Manu: Thank you! It's relief to hear it wasn't so bad as I thought.
Hopefully you'll enjoy!
When the morning sun started rising at the horizon, Gyvas was already awake.
She actually hadn't slept at all, laying on her bed in the darkness as worries kept whispering in her mind. The thought about uncle, Aela and Athis leaving Whiterun to go into this quest of theirs seemed dangerous, if all of them, the Circle of Companions, were required to come. As far as the child had been at Jorrvaskr, every quest that the Companions had taken had so far been inside the borders of Whiterun, close and safe, no-one going alone nor for long period.
But uncle had not yet left the city before this, and even if he was not alone, Gyvas was still concerned.
The memories of mom and dad leaving home, then the courier giving the news, Gregor bringing the girl to Whiterun, the funeral, images of mom's and dad's bodies burned...
The girl couldn't sleep. How could she?
Despite uncle's words... And was Gyvas didn't know what exactly the trio was going to do in Falkreath, the child couldn't shake off the feeling of danger and thinking what had happened to mom and dad.
If they could be... Kil... If they could be attacked, what stopped the same happening to uncle? Or Aela despite how much Gyvas saw the Huntress as amazing warrior? And Athis maybe was good with his swords...
The girl couldn't stop worrying and fearing during the all night. She wanted to stop them from going but she couldn't. She wanted to stop worrying and believe in them but she couldn't.
And so the night had gone, Gyvas not sleeping and hugging Wolf, trying to think something. What exactly, she wasn't sure. Then an idea came. It wasn't anything special, to someone else, but as the idea settled into Gyvas' mind the little girl could feel a small sense of assurity. A small one. It wouldn't really do anything, but just like mom and dad had done their rituals before leaving... Gyvas felt that maybe she should have one too with uncle.
So it wouldn't feel so scary of him leaving.
At the early noon the three senior Companions were prepared for the trip. And Gyvas, whelps, Lucia and Eorlund were at front of Jorrvaskr to see them off.
Gyvas wasn't sure how to be or do, rubbing her tired eyes and holding tightly something inside her left fist. The little girl watched as everyone else said good luck, or eyes on the prey and not horizon, and Lucia and Eorlund getting back to work after their words. Gyvas did not move away from Jorrvaskr's front doors, not yet saying to anyone.
Not until Aela walked to her, crouched and the Huntress looked at the worrying girl with understanding.
"I'll look after Vilkas, so you don't have to loose your sleep", the redhead assured with a smile, even if knowing the pup still wouldn't sleep well until Vilkas was back.
"Who then looks after you or Athis?" the girl asked, holding the wolf's head against her scalp. Despite of herself Aela laughed, petting the girl's hair under the hide.
"Trust me, we will be fine..."
Then the woman said with low whisper, leaning to her mouth next to girl's side of head: "There is no beast nor man who can best three members of the Circle."
Gyvas looked at the smirking Huntress, puzzled of the words as how they were said.
But, it wasn't the words that Huntress had said, but the tone and the look that convinced Gyvas a bit more, sure of the trio's safety outside the Whiterun.
With Athis the girl didn't say much, as the Dunmer wasn't much about speaking after all so the two just looked at each other for a moment before nodding.
Then it was uncle, who talked about something with Ria, who was left in charge of Jorrvaskr as the Circle was away. The woman had been longer a Companion than Friss, who lazily stood there with happy smile on his face.
"Aah, it's gonna be so relaxing when parents are away", the Nord grinned and leaned against a wall.
Then Athis was standing in front of the young Nord. Friss stiffened immediately when the Dunmer's red eyes stared at him, the whelp smiling nervously at the senior member and seeming like wanting to run and hide.
"...Um, hi?"
The Dunmer pushed a paper roll into the confused whelp's hands.
"What's this?"
Friss looked cautiously at the roll, glancing between it and the mer.
"A list." Athis just said, like the boy was asking stupid questions.
"A list of what?"
"Chores."
"What?"
Opening the roll with feeling of bad omen, the opened roll so long as to touch the ground, and with deepening frown Friss went it through quickly.
"...Harvesting crops from Pelagia Farm? Cleaning the whelp's rooms?! Sharpening your- I'm a warrior, not a maid, Athis!"
"You're not warrior until I say so", the Dunmer calmly explained. "And I know it was you who made that mess in my room."
"I was looking for a book and how I was suppose to know that- Wait, you didn't know, did you?"
The Dunmer turned, ready to leave, and Friss was feeling that it was easier when the Dunmer staid in the Jorrvaskr. The Nord stared at the list's content.
Chuckling at the older Companion messing with the whelp, as secretly Athis really liked Friss as the youngster reminded of Torvar, Vilkas looked at his niece. The girl had finally come to him, standing there and looking up to him with grave expression.
It didn't fit to her face, or her eyes which usually were so open and innocent but now filled with worry and knowing that death could get to anyone. A parent should never need to bury their children, but children also shouldn't need to bury their parents too early.
The old getting warrior tried smiling in softly manner, despite of everything, and pulling down the hide from girl's head as he looked at her, leaning down to her eye-level.
"Still worried?" he asked.
The little girl seemed to think about her answer for a moment, then shaking her head, but Vilkas could still sense uneasiness from the pup. But before he could say anything, something was suddenly pushed to his chest, as the girl give something to him. With great curiousness the twin took the thing and stared at it with risen brows.
A small, wooden piece that had been carved into a wolf's head. A leather string made it into a necklace.
"Dad gave it to me", the girl explained and Vilkas felt different, strong emotions inside him, looking at the necklace and the girl. "So I want it back."
Unsure what the pup was saying, the man handed the necklace back, smiling as the girl giggled and pushed his hand back.
"No, you'll keep it", she explained, finally smiling, looking at him. "Then I want it back when you and others return."
"You sure? What if I loose it?"
It was nice work, clearly Farkas had used all his skills to make it to his daughter... The pup seemed to think about the possibility one moment, then took the necklace from his palm. The Nord felt a small sting, although completely understanding that she didn't want the item to-
"You keep it around your neck", the pup leaned, holding the string from its ends, and tied them behind Vilkas' neck.
for a moment Vilkas didn't know what to say nor do, staring the little pup.
"...Ah", the Harbinger managed to say, blinking a bit before straightening up, feeling up normal lightness. The pup tilted her head, smile widening on her face.
"Uncle, are you blushing?"
The Nord almost chocked, feeling everyone glancing as they heard the girl. Turning his back to others Vilkas snatched the girl against his side, ruffling the brunettes hair as surprised pup giggled and screamed.
"You little pup", Vilkas growled playfully, stopped and hugged the pup against his side. "You stay out of trouble while I'm away now, okay?"
"Yes uncle."
"And keep on eye on everything for me", he whispered, hearing more of Gyvas' bubbling laugh and seeing her laughing face.
Which distantly remind Vilkas of Drust's.
And as soon as the memory hit him, Vilkas felt sudden and sharp coldness, chilling the warmness inside him. He let go of the girl, trying to keep smiling to her.
Giving a last tap on the pup's shoulder Vilkas turned around, looking at everyone and then the Huntress and mer.
"Okay, let's move out."
Sitting on the high stonewall that surrounded the city, Gyvas watched as Aela, uncle and Athis walked down the road from the gates.
The girl still felt worry towards the three, but after talking with Aela and Vilkas, the child felt more confidence towards the trio's return.
However she frowned as uncle with his friends continued walking past the stables, not taking horses with them. Falkreath was pretty far from here, so wouldn't a horse be faster if the quest was urgent? Tilting her head Gyvas wondered this.
"Hey!"
Looking down Gyvas frowned in irritated way when seeing a guard yelling up to her. Dressed in Whiterun's colors and symbols and face masked by the helmet, the guard commanded her.
"Get down from the wall, now!"
She wasn't doing anything bad, and she was living here so why should she come down? But... As uncle had said to stay away from trouble, and not wanting otherwise to get in trouble, Gyvas easily climbed down the wall. Although she liked more of climbing up trees.
Hurrying away from the staring guard the girl headed towards the market place, where some other children, friends of hers, greeted and waved her to join them.
"Hey, we're gonna go jumping down from the stairs into the water pool at Cloud District. You wanna come?"
It sounded fun enough, although the summer started to turn into autumn, and the winds at Wind District has started to turn chilly...
But it sounded fun, so why not?
"Sure, let's go."
The jumping into the water had been fun as it had sounded.
Climbing up the stairs and stone walls, leaping and making risky flips into the deep water. Feeling the weird lightness, rush and the impact of diving under the surface. It was lots of fun and exciting!
Until guards chased them off.
Then, shivering in their wet clothes, the children decided go back to their homes to change, promising to meet under the Gildergreen that some hero years behind had restored by bringing a blessed sapling to replace the dead one. Guards and adults really didn't like it when the children tried to climb up the young tree.
Waving to her friends and then hugging herself, holding the folded wolf hide as she had not kept it on while diving, Gyvas tried to ignore the cold when heading to Jorrvaskr.
She wondered how the winters were here, as it would be shame not to see much of trees covered by snow like back at home. But here she could play with other kids on the snow, make lots of snow castles across the plains, snowball war, sliding down rooftops and-
As Gyvas looked up to the front doors, while stepping on the last steps, she halted.
There was a stranger, wearing dark hood and cloak, leaning against wall next to the doors.
They seemed to be a man and were already staring at her.
"Ah, hello", the stranger greeted, pulling down the hood and reveling his ginger beard and long hair, smiling friendly. But there was something... Not wrong, but something that didn't felt very... Genuine.
Gyvas also noticed the black leather armor he was wearing with all the belts and pouches, and if the color was different, the child would have guessed he was a thief. But he clearly wasn't just some stranger, so Gyvas stood still while shivering, thinking.
What should she do? Who was he?
Seeing the child's discomfort and her hesitating gaze the man crouched.
"No need to fear me lass, I'm not hear to cause problems. I just wanted to meet the kid of my old friend, you are Gyvas, right?"
Still not sure, but also not knowing should she start running and screaming if the man really was mom's and dad's friend, the little girl nodded.